How it Ends
by CyXandrix
Summary: Sometimes things end before they ever really begin! This story was inspired by the picture "How it Ends" by rcahern over on Deviant Art, go check it out before you read if you want. Warning, this story has feelz over 9000!
1. How it Ends

**Quick note before reading, this story is NOT "cannon" with my other stories. Its a stand alone I did for fun and as a tribute to a great piece of art. **

Aster raced through the tunnel, his feet pounding nearly as fast as his heart. He was racing as fast as he could to the lake where Jack Frost, the newest member of Guardians and ever present pain in the rabbit's hind end, lived. Aster had been sitting in his warren, painting an egg when he'd seen the lights dancing across the sky, the pattern indicating that it was Frost who was in trouble. Aster told himself that the fear that clenched his heart was just normal concern for the younger guardian, still new and relatively inexperienced; Jack would be more vulnerable than the others, that was it. Still, Aster had dropped what he was doing and summoned a rabbit hole bolting down it, which lead him to where he currently was.

The trip through his tunnels was shorter than usual do to Aster's speed, and as such he was the second guardian to reach Jack's pond. As Aster straighten and looked around, eyes scanning for any sign of a threat. He saw North standing there, twin blades flashing in the half light of dusk, the large Russian crouched down in a ready stance. The red-orange light of the setting sun gave the scene a truly horrific look. Patches of ice covered the area, off considering it was mid-July, snow falling lightly onto the pond and surrounding forest. "What happened 'er North?" Aster asked as he slowly moved forward, large ears twitching, scanning for the slightest hint of movement.

"I do not know Bunny. Distress call from Jack came in, I summoned others and came here. I have only been here for few moments when you arrived." North said, making his way toward the small cave that served as Jack's home when the winter spirit wasn't out causing trouble or brining winter fun to the children of the world. North's loud curse made Aster jump, this tone in his voice causing a sinking feeling in his chest.

"Whats wrong?" Aster called, making his way to North's crouching from.

The rush of relief Aster felt as he neared North seeing his fellow guardian kneeling by the shattered remnants of a snow globe confused Aster, what had he been worried about that he felt relived now? His relief was short lived as North said "This is snow globe I gave Jack to call for help. Is why I knew to send out lights."

"So what does-" Aster began, but his words were drown out by a bright flash in the sky above him accompanied by the sound of shrieking nightmares. Aster and North both turned to look up just in time to see Jack come streaking out of the forest chased by at least two dozen nightmares.

"Jack!" Aster called but the winder spirit didn't seem to hear him. The nightmares closed in around him, obscuring him form the other guardians view. "JACK!" Aster shouted, fear and concern bubbling up again. There was a bright flash of blue-white light and the nightmares started falling from the sky, frozen solid. "Atta boy Frostbite!" Aster yelled, a flash of pride going through him, he'd figure that one out later.

"Bunny, North! About time!" Jack shouted as soon as he noticed the two guardians standing on the edge of his pond. He started flying toward them when a group of dark shadows flew from the forest below Jack, solidifying into the form of Pitch Black complete with his signature Scythe, the giants weapon glowing evilly in the red light of the setting sun. Jack brought his staff up just in time to block the scythe, retaliating with a bolt of freezing energy that Pitch deflected with a wave of his hand. The nightmare King had regained an alarming amount of his powers and it showed, the speed at which he swung the giant scythe almost too much for Jack to keep up with.

Aster cursed his lack of flight at that moment, Jack needed help and he was too far away to do more then watch helplessly. Jack was holding his own though, even getting in a few good strikes with his staff. Aster was impressed by the winter spirit's prowess especially for someone more or less new to fighting. Pitch was more experience though, and his powers were at least a match for Jacks, if not even greater. Aster wished Jack would bring the fight close enough for him or North to help, but the winter spirit was hard pressed just defending against Pitch's attack; there was no way he would be able to steer the fight anywhere. Then Pitch managed to land a solid kick to Jack's chest as they clashed, forcing the winter spirit off balance as he went spinning through the air. Jack righted himself just in time to almost duck under an arching swipe of Pitch's Scythe. Aster's heart clenched as he watched Jack go spinning again, attempting to recover from the glancing blow to his head.

"JACK! LOOK OUT!" Aster shouted as Pitch came to a stop several feet behind Jack, the scythe in his hands shifting into the form of a bow. Pitch pulled back, aligning the shaft with Jack's back and let it fly, the streak of black visible for a split second before colliding with Jack at point blank range. Jack let out a cry of pain as we fell, plummeting down into the forest and out of Aster's line of sight. Aster felt his body go cold as he watched Jack fall, his heart dropping out of his chest.

"Sorry Frosty, looks like your luck's finally run out!" Pitch shouted with a maniacal laugh. He turned to Aster and North "Sorry boys, looks like you're a little late for the party. Don't worry though I've got a little parting gift for you!" He shouted as he sped down toward them, scythe poised to strike. North backed up, raising his swords defensively but Aster stood his ground, rage replacing the fear in his chest as his veins burned with hatred for the boogieman. As Pitch went to swing Aster stepped forward into the arch, grabbing the weapon just below the head and jerked it from Pitch's hands tossing it away where it dissolved into nothing. Aster took another step and grabbed the very surprised Pitch around his neck with one large paw, brining Pitch over his head before slamming the wiry body into the ground. He lifted a very dazed Pitch with one arm and repeated the motion, slamming him into the ground again. Aster jerked his arm to the side, sending Pitch flying against a nearby tree where his body burst into a thousand little wisps of shadow, each fleeing the enraged rabbit, flying off somewhere dark to reform.

"Bunny…" North said, staring at his friend in shock at the rabbit's display.

Aster didn't answer, with Pitch taken care of his mind once again turned to Jack, concern washing his anger away like a sandcastle before a tsunami. He took off running in the direction Jack had fallen, searching for any sign of the winter spirit. By the time he found the guardian of joy, sitting buried in a snow bank, leaning against a tree trunk Jack's breathing was labored. There was a bright red gash running from his head where he had narrowly, too narrowly, avoided losing half his head to Pitch's scythe. He hadn't been able to dodge the arrow that followed, and its effect were obvious. There was a gaping wound on Jack's chest where the arrow had hit, slicing through his hoodie and skin like nothing. Thin black tendrils spread from the wound, already making their way up his neck, seeming to absorb the blood running down the side of his head. His eyes were glassy, gazing at nothing as a small smile played on his thin lips, a trickle of blood running from their corner.

"Jack…" Aster whispered as he knelt next to him, wanting to help but terrified to touch him. Aster knew quite a few spells of healing, rebirth and new life being his thing and all, but he could tell just from looking that this was beyond him.

"Bunny?" Jack said, his voice barely a whisper, his eyes focusing partially on Aster.

"I'm here mate, it's gonna be alright" Aster said, wishing he believed his own words.

"I kind of screwed that up, didn't I?" Jack said weakly, giving a weak chuckle that turned into a grimace of pain.

"No Jack, you were amazing. We shoulda been here sooner, shoulda kept a closer watch on Pitch. This wasn't your fault."

"I'm sorry." Jack said, his face falling slightly.

"I told ya, ya got nothin to be sorry for Frostbite." Aster said, wanting to keep Jack talking.

"No, for…for being such a pain…I guess I just wanted you to notice me." Jack said, his words sending Aster's mind into swirling maelstrom of thoughts and emotion.

"I always noticed you Frostbite." Aster said, surprised how easily the words came considering the storm raging in his mind.

Jack smiled at that, his bright blue eyes brightening. Aster leaned forward and cupped Jack's cheek in his paw, rubbing his thumb up and down the pale cheek. Jack brought his hand up and placed in on top of Aster's weakly. He smiled at Jack, not even trying to make sense of the emptions warring inside him, Jack needed him at that moment and that was all that mattered. They held that position for several minutes, then Jack whispered "I'm sorry."

"What for Frostbi-" Aster's voice died in his throat as Jack's hand fell from his. One last breath escaped from those thin lips, still smiling slightly, the light faded from the bright blue eyes. Aster stared at Jack, meeting the winter spirits unseeing gaze one more time before reaching a shaking had forward and closing his eyes. Aster felt the first of his tears breaking through as the last rays of the sun faded from the sky leaving nothing but blackness, as though the entire world were mourning its loss.


	2. Alternate Ending - Complete

Jack smiled at that, his bright blue eyes brightening. Aster leaned forward and cupped Jack's cheek in his paw, rubbing his thumb up and down the pale cheek. Jack brought his hand up and placed in on top of Aster's weakly. He smiled at Jack, not even trying to make sense of the emptions warring inside him, Jack needed him at that moment and that was all that mattered. They held that position for several minutes, then Jack whispered "I'm sorry."

"What for Frostbi-" Aster's voice died in his throat as Jack's hand fell from his. Aster felt himself being shoved aside at that moment, North and Sandy pushing past him to Jack. North cut Jack's hoodie open with one swift swipe of his sword and then stepped back, giving Sandy room. The small golden guardian placed a hand just over the wound on Jack's chest and a stream of golden particles started to flow from his hand into the evil looking gash. Jack jerked in pain, his limbs flailing "Bunny" North said urgently, motioning to one of Jack's arms while he moved to hold the other. Aster hopped forward, holding Jack's right side down as the winter spirit thrashed violently, the look of agony on his face hitting Aster like a physical blow. Jack thrashed harder, screaming out until his voice cracked as thin black lines started to rise out of the wound, carried by Sandy's golden sand.

The process took nearly fifteen minutes, and by the end of it Aster was exhausted, a combination of holding down the surprisingly strong winter spirit and listening to Jack's pain had drained him. Jack laid there, breathing hard, sweat covering his body as the last trace of black left his body, carried away by Sandy's dream sand. He blinked his eyes open slowly, smiling weakly as they fell upon Aster. Aster didn't know what made him do it, but at that moment he reached forward and scooped up Jack, crushing the winter spirit to himself as relief, joy and happiness surged through him. He didn't know exactly what his feelings for Jack were, though he was starting to get an inkling, but that didn't matter. Jack was ok, safe in his arms, and that was all that mattered.

**I intended on ending it here, but, and I kid you not, I saw this in a dream last night and just had to add it.**

"So how are you feeling Jack?" North asked, the large guardian standing at the foot of Jacks bed.

"Better, let like crap anyway." Jack said with his characteristic smirk.

"Good, good. Gave us quite the scare you did. Don't worry though, you will feel better in no time." He said, shuffling around Bunny to gently pat Jack's shoulder. North had suspecting something brewing between his old friend and the newest guardian, but he had still been surprised by Bunny's reaction to Jack's injuries. He'd been even more surprised when, after Sandy had removed Pitch's corruption from Jack, Bunny had carried the boy to North's castle, deposited him in the medical wing and taken a seat in the chair next to Jack's bed. That had been three days ago. As far as North knew Bunny hadn't moved from his stop in those three days, even though Jack had just regained consciousness in the last half hour or so. "I will let you rest now, feel better Jack." North said, nodding to Bunny as he left the room, closing the door behind him.

He had just reached the end of the hall when he remembered that Sandy asked him to pass a message along to Jack. He turned back to the room, stopping just outside the door, the sound of Jack's voice making him freeze.

"Bunny?" Jack asked, his voice sounding timmid.

"Aster" Bunny replied.

"What?" Jack said, confused.

"Call me Aster." Bunny said. That caught North off guard, Bunny never let anyone call him Aster, not even the other guardians.

"Alright, Aster. Can I ask you a question?" Jack said, his voice sounding happier than it had a moment ago.

"Sure Jack." Bunny said, again surprising North. Bunny always called Jack Frostbite, or Snowflake or some other nickname, but never Jack.

"Did you mean it? What you said about noticing me?" Jack asked, his voice quite again, timid.

"A'course I meant it Jack, never really knew what it meant till recently though." Aster said, his voice sounding…embarrassed?

"Oh? And what does it mean then?" Jack asked, the smallest hint of hope coloring his voice.

"I think you know" was Bunny's joking reply.

There was a long pause and then Jack said "Aster…would you…" There was a slight rustle and then Bunny replied "Sure Jack." Another, louder rustle, and the slight squeak of bedsprings as though a large weight had settled into the bed.

North was about to open the door at that moment when a loud sob came through the door accompanied with a murmur so low North couldn't make it out. "I know Jack, its ok. I was scared to." Bunny said. Another murmur, another reply from Bunny "I know, I didn't want you to leave either." Another short mumble followed by a pause so long North didn't know if Bunny would say anything. Finally Bunny said "I love you to Jack."

North stepped back from the door, suddenly feeling guilty for intruding on his friend's private moment. Very carefully he backed away, willing the floor to remain silent as he retreated. When he reached the end of the hallway a broad smile was playing on his lips, happiness for his friends making him chuckle to himself. North smiled all the way back to his workshop, contemplating this new beginning.


End file.
